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About 500 plush dogs and cats are spread out with help from Lackawanna County Sheriff’s Department Cpl. Corey Cavalieri on Thursday at the Aaron Center in Dickson City, with more stuffed animals to be donated in the next few weeks.
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On the morning of Dec. 7, 1941, Joseph P. McDonald manned the switchboard at Fort Shafter in Hawaii when he received the alarming message that radar had detected a large number of planes approaching from the north, heading fast for Oahu.
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By Rebekah Brown (Staff Writer)
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Published: August 24, 2013

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Grinning from under his pinstriped fedora, Timmy Walsh proudly held up an autographed photo of Barack Obama.

He crossed off every item on his wish list Friday at the Lackawanna College student union. He photographed the president and Vice President Joe Biden together, using his Nikon D5000. He shook hands with both men and they even complimented his tuxedo shirt and bow tie ensemble. Mr. Obama called him a sharp dresser.

Mr. Obama also called the 11-year-old founder of Camera For a Cure, a nonprofit that benefits the Lung Cancer Alliance, by name.

Timmy was one of about 2,700 who filled the student union to hear the speech. After thrilling the crowd with comments about how it was "good to be back" in Scranton, Mr. Obama discussed the affordability of higher education.

Timmy, of Olyphant, isn't quite ready for college yet, but the message still resonated with him. His mom, Sheila McDonough, would like to go back to school, but between paying a mortgage and caring for her family, it hasn't been a financial option.

"I'm happy that she and I can go and it could be affordable," Timmy said after the address.

While Timmy had hoped for an encounter with the commander in chief, a midspeech mention of the Lackawanna College football team caught a group of players on the floor near the stage off guard.

Mr. Obama asked the Falcons if they were ready for their first game. The answer: a resounding yes.

Jonathon Jackson, 21, a cornerback on the team, said he believed the entire team was present to enjoy the shout-out.

"It was amazing, from a guy like him," he said.

Another Lackawanna student, freshman Briyana Cofield, waited in line for two hours before the event.

"I voted, so I want to see what he's talking about," the 19-year-old from Upper Darby said, adding that she was interested in his plans to ease student loans.

"It's history," she added. "Why wouldn't you want to come?"

In head-to-toe purple, five resident assistants from the University of Scranton said they had been chosen by the Residence Life office to represent the school.

"All financial aid issues are on our mind all the time," said junior Kaitlyn Kuntzman, 20. "So is the quality of education."

Senior Emmanuel Akpan, 21, of Flanders, N.J., agreed, adding the issues were pertinent to all college students.

"They affect the decision to pursue higher education," he said.

Even after the doors opened Friday, lines of people stretched nearly all the way around the block, past Bill Lodge's home on Olive Street.

Mr. Lodge, 65, and his daughter Meghan Lodge, 31, watched the lines shuffle by from their porch with their black poodle, Ziggy.

"It gives a national attention to the city," Mr. Lodge said, adding he'd never seen a visitor garner the same amount of attention. "There's been stuff here before, but never like this."

Ms. Lodge said she hoped Mr. Obama would address the debt incurred by current and former students, like herself.

"There are so many colleges in this area," she said. "I think what he's going to say will hit home."

Mr. Obama's discussion of keeping college affordable was promising to Scranton resident Michele Conaboy, 25, who sang "The Star-Spangled Banner" to open the event.

"It was extremely important for me as a teacher that the students we work so hard to educate will have the opportunity to get higher education in the future," she said.

Lackawanna College President Mark Volk spoke to both the president and vice president before their speeches, reminding them about the value of two-year colleges.

"It was a great opportunity for Lackawanna College," he said. "How can you beat it?"

SARAH HOFIUS HALL, staff writer, contributed to this report.

Contact the writer: rbrown@timesshamrock.com, @rbrownTT on Twitter

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